A Guest at the Aoiya
by Always RuroKen
Summary: Aoshi was fine watching her from afar – her beautiful smile, determined frown and mischievous green eyes peering at him from over the rim of her cup. In theory, he knew he was not right for her. He'd support any worthy man who came her way. But when a familiar smiling wanderer visits the Aoiya with a bouquet of lilies, Aoshi is torn between his feelings and the 'right thing to do'.
1. Chapter 1

**Nakatani-Kun Bothers Me**

 _Mediation. An empty mind, yet aware of all the things around. Concentrate on nothing and let no stray thoughts enter your mind. Become aware of all sounds. Let them pass through. Breathe evenly. In and out._ Yet… There are soft steps outside my room. Hesitation to knock. A slight shift of weight. A familiar presence. "Misao. Come in." I say, my eyes opening.

She slides the door open. "Tea time, Aoshi-sama!" she says cheerfully, setting the tray down on the low table in front of me.

"Thank you."

"How's the meditation going, Aoshi-sama?" Misao sits down by me, stretching her slim legs out. "Have you found the meaning of life now?" she seems to be only half joking.

I take a sip of tea. _She always makes it exactly right. I don't know what she does different to anyone else, but her tea tastes the best._ "…Unfortunately not." I say. Changing the subject, I ask something that has been bothering me for a while. "There was a bouquet of flowers with your name on them outside the door of the Aoiya."

Misao looks down. "Lemme guess. Red roses?"

"Yes." I say, trying to be nonchalant. "An admirer?"

Her cheeks flush a little. "Nakatani-kun!" she growls. "Some rich boy who I accidentally saved from being robbed. Sends me candy and flowers all the time now." She laughs a little. "My room's turning into a botanical garden!" she shrugs. "He's fun to be around, though. He reads a lot and tells all sorts of stories."

I take another sip of tea. This… Nakatani- _kun_ bothers me. _Since when does she call him with such familiarity? He's some rich boy, probably never done a day's work in his life. If he's serious, I may have to challenge him. But if he's rich he will be able to offer Misao a lot… If she is happy with him, there is nothing I can do._ "Ah. I see." I say, trying not to sound too stiff and failing. I drink more tea and hope that Misao doesn't notice how tightly I'm gripping the cup. I might break it, so I set it down, folding my hands in my lap.

She smiles. "Don't worry, I turned him down when he proposed to me. You'll still have to deal with my annoying self rushing around the Aoiya and bringing you tea when you're trying to concentrate." Misao sounds a bit sad, underneath her cheerful smile.

 _He_ proposed _?! But she turned him down… She got proposed to. This Nakatani. If I see him I'll tie him into a knot- This is pure jealousy. If he proves himself worthy, then who am I to stand in his way? I am no-one to lay any sort of claim to her._ "Your tea is good." I say out loud, picking the cup up again and drinking. I try to stop what comes out of my mouth next, yet somehow, whether it be from annoyance or an overly relaxed attitude, I speak anyway. "…Make sure you know someone better than the back of your hand before you decide to marry them. Flowers, money and candy don't make a man." I stop, downing all the tea that was left and putting my cup down onto the tray next to the empty teapot.

Misao doesn't say anything for a while, then she picks up the tray. Just as she opens the shoji I can hear her laugh in a carefree way. "Sure, Aoshi-sama!" just as she closes it behind her, I can hear voice crack. "I hope you find the meaning soon…!"


	2. Chapter 2

**More** **Flowers?**

I exit my room to help with the preparations for dinner. Okon always leaves all the cutting to me. And it is calming somehow – so I am thankful for that. Finely slicing a cucumber is a task that requires some concentration, but not an intense focus. I would not compare it to meditation, yet somehow, the comparison comes to mind anyway. Misao enters the kitchen in her apron, balancing a tray in each hand and Omasu fills them up with orders from the customers. She grins at me as she walks by and I feel slightly relieved.

When she leaves, Okon looks at me. She seems to be plotting something and I am on my guard. "Did you know there was a bouquet of passionate red roses left for our Misao today?" she raises an eyebrow, smirking.

My knife speeds up. "A certain Nakatani- _kun_." I say coldly. "Misao _rejected_ his offer of marriage." My emphasis on rejection was not meant to be as pronounced as it was.

Omasu also looks at me. "You've never met him before, have you, Aoshi-sama?"

"No." I begin slicing another cucumber. "I have not."

"A very nice boy. Beautiful manners and a cute face. Only a year older than her. He's quite smitten!"

"Oh yes! They would make a rather cute couple, don't you think so?"

"Oh, her energy and his energy have a very refreshing effect, don't they?"

"And they _are_ interested in all the same things."

 _Well this_ nice _boy is pissing me off. My_ knuckles whiten around the knife. "She rejected him, no?" I ask sharply, trying not to glare.

Okon shrugged. "She _did_ , but he still sends her presents and sees her. Misao said she was alright with remaining friends. She rather likes spending time with him, you know."

I pointedly glare at the cucumber. " _Hm_." I am unable to say anything coherent, or polite for that matter. "Is that _so_."

Okon continues. "He would be a very good match for our Misao-chan."

"Oh, _would_ he." I growl, despite myself. I finish the last cucumber. I know _exactly_ where he can shove his bouquet of _passionate_ red roses. Omasu passes me some tomatoes that I begin to cut as well. I attempt to remain calm and neutral, expressionless and indifferent. It is _so_ difficult.

At that moment, Misao runs in. Her cheeks are flushed and she's out of breath. She's holding a large bouquet of white lilies. "Guess who I just saw?" she exclaims. Her excitement puts me on guard.

"Nakatani." I say, trying not to sound like I wanted to murder him. _Relax, Misao. I only want to murder him a little bit. Not fully murder him – just part-way_. My knife cuts straight through the tomato and buries itself in the cutting board – and I try to surreptitiously pull it out, while still looking at her.

She shakes her head. "No! It was Seta Soujiro! Remember? The Tenken! I talked with him a little." she brandished her flowers at me. "He's booking a room here!"

I look at her. _I thought the Tenken was wandering Japan in search of answers. But that_ was _three years ago._ "Seta… Soujiro…?" Okon and Omasu exchange glances. Finally Omasu shrugs.

"He even brought flowers! He said he was on the road and saw them so he picked them himself. He said he hoped it would suffice as a sort of goodwill gift." She shakes her head. "That's pretty sweet, no?"

The knife comes out of the board and I cut another tomato in half with one annoyed chop. "Extremely." _More flowers? At this rate, Misao's room is just going to be one huge goddamn flower garden. Can't these smitten idiots be more imaginative? Get her something she can use. Like a new set of kunai, for instance._


	3. Chapter 3

**Fuck off, Nakatani-kun**

I wake up early and decide I will train, then do the shopping – as Omasu had been making a list the other day. There is nobody in the back room (which was used either as a mini dojo or as somewhere I would go to meditate occasionally). I take the room for myself. There's something relaxing about a sword in your hand and nothing but the swish of air against metal in your mind. My ponytail comes undone but I pay it no mind.

It's only when someone knocks on the door I realize that I'd been training way past breakfast. But as I stand still, I can feel _two_ presences outside the door. One I know better than the back of my hand – Misao, the other one… It's familiar, yet… _Seta_ , I realize. "Anybody in here?" Misao calls though the door. I open it, hoping I can threaten Seta at least a little with my kodachi sheath. Misao grins. "I've been wondering where you were, Aoshi-sama!"

I nod at her. "Training." I offer.

Looking past her, I can see Seta. He hadn't changed much since I had last seen him three years ago, still with a childish face and round blue eyes. He seems to be a little taller, but otherwise I see no difference. He looks at me and smiles, bowing a little. "Ah hello there! It's been a while, hasn't it? Thank you for having me here, Aoshi-san. No grudges?"

I nod at him too. "A pleasure." I say tonelessly. "The past is the past."

Misao looks at me eagerly. "Are you planning on returning here again, or is it okay for me and Soujiro-kun to spar here for a while?"

 _Soujiro-_ kun _?! Again with the familiar suffixes. Is thins something she just_ does _or does it have to do with anything more?_ I raise an eyebrow, trying to seem nonchalant. "Knock yourselves out." I say stiffly. Laughing at my attempt at humor, rather than the actual humor of it, Misao motions for Seta to come in and then the door closes, leaving me outside.

That was when I decided that maybe I could afford make a move or two, just enough to get at least Nakatani out of the picture. The boy is obviously still very much smitten with Misao, of that I was certain. I take the shopping list from Omasu and set off into the city with the seed of an idea.

 _Rice – check. Beef – check. Vegetables (How specific, Omasu) – check. Teacups – check. Sake for cooking – check._ _That only leaves…_

I head over to the nearest flower-seller and buy two bouquets of flowers. Not 'passionate' roses. Not white lilies. But tulips of such a deep red they almost seemed purple. Part one of the plan complete. Now onto the next part.

***00***00***00***

It is dinner time and we sit around the table, Shiro, Kuro, Okon, Omasu, Okina, Misao and I. "Anything interesting happen today?" asked Okina, looking up from his bowl of rice. "Everyone's so quiet – it's unnatural!"

Misao nods, her mouth full and everyone turns to look at her. She swallows and then begins to laugh. "A-actually…" She's laughing so hard she can barely talk. "I was walking by Nakatani-kun's house this morning and he said he got an anonymous bouquet of tulips…" she giggles. "And the card inside…" another gale of laughter overwhelms her. "It said…" she held her stomach. "' _Fuck off, Nakatani-kun._ '! He was so scared!"

Okon throws me a glance. Okina laughs, looking at me. "Oh really?" he says. I would not think that I had made myself obvious. _Stop staring at me._

Kuro laughs. "That's one way to get rid of your rivals." He says.

Omasu gives a little laugh behind her hand. "Yes, it must be another one of your admirers wanting to win your hand!"

Misao waves her hand at them. "And that's not all! When I got home, I got the same bouquet! But on the card…" she began to laugh again. "That person wrote a haiku, ' _Another bouquet – to add to your collection – frustrating woman.'_ " She stops laughing quite as much. " _So_ poetic."

"It's not a _bad_ poem." I say, trying not to sound defensive and failing. "I would think it captured the author's mindset quite well." Everyone looks at me and I try to act innocent, drinking some tea and eating some stir-fry.

"Getting defensive, Aoshi?" Okina laughs.

I stare at him, but just like every other time in the past – I am unable to stare him down completely. "Not defensive." I say finally. "Sympathetic."

Misao looks at me. "Sympathetic?"

"Yes." I begin to drink my miso soup, cutting off that conversation before it began. "Anyone dealing with rich air-heads has my sympathy."


	4. Chapter 4

**Soujiro** - ** _kun_**

 _Maybe I'll train with Misao today_ , I think. _I have not done so in a while._ In my tea, a tea-leaf floats upright. It means good luck. Not that I believe in such things _._ But… I think I'll need all the luck I can get today, what with Seta and all.

I walk down the engawa, pulling my hair back and sliding my gloves on. Outside the door I stop, sensing something slightly… _Off_. I can hear the hollow sound of bamboo against bamboo, kiai and occasional laughs. _It's Seta and Misao,_ I realize. Then there's a clack, an 'oof!' kind of a surprised squeak on Misao's part, a low laugh on Seta's and a soft thump. And then a nervous giggle from Misao and Seta's voice. "I'm not sure which one of us won here, Misao-chan." _Misao-chan? Such familiarity. Unacceptable._

"O-oh, S-Soujiro-kun! That's not playing fair!"

That's when I slide open the door – and regret it deeply.

Misao's laying on her back, her shinai pressed against Seta's neck as he, _over top of her_ , has his shinai against her chest. Misao has a slight blush on her cheeks and he's laughing a little. I don't think I've emphasized this enough; _over top of her. Provocatively_. His knees are on either side of her hips and his arm is bracing himself against the floor near her shoulder. I am ready to put my fist though the wall. Or through Seta's smirking face. The second option sounds better.

As I open the door they stop looking _deeply into each other's eyes and giggling_ and turn to look at me, slightly guiltily. Before either of them can move I take my gloves off. " _Pardon the interruption._ " Before I wipe all expression off my face I must have looked enraged, for Seta stops smiling and the two of them disengage from their… Positioning. Not allowing them time to say anything I slide the door shut sharply. " _Please continue_." I say. _Damn, I must seem bitter. I fucking_ am _bitter! Fuck this shit! Sending a_ few _flowers isn't going to do anything._ An annoyed growl escapes from my throat.

I go up to my room and change from my shozoku to a casual yukata. I do not go to lunch. Instead, I pass by the table where all of them sit – all except for Misao, I notice. Okina asks me where I'm going. "City." I say. "Unfinished business." He looks at me askance and Okon and Omasu exchange looks. I ignore them and leave.

The city has too many people and they all manage to annoy me, one way or another. Some are too loud, others too well-dressed, others still too meek-looking. People try selling things to me, but when they meet my eyes I glare at them. I know I am behaving like a child. Irrationally and immaturely. But I can't help wanting to punch things. The flower-seller from yesterday hails me. "Yo, Nii-san! Ya gonna buy some more flowers for that woman?"

"Who told you there was a woman?" I glare at him.

He shrugs. "In the Western language of flowers red tulips mean a confession of love."

I curse. _That's too obvious. I should have chosen a different color. Wait. She doesn't even know they're from me. It doesn't matter. Speaking of which…_ "How much is everything?" I ask.

The flower-seller gives me a look. "You wanna make a bouquet with one of each flower in it? That'd make for an _interesting_ bouquet but-"

" _Everything_." I repeat. "All the flowers you have on that cart. How much?" I am annoyed at having repeat myself, but the look on the man's face is priceless.

"That woman must be _something_." He mutters and names a price.

 _Oh, she is. She really is._ Instead I say nothing.

***00***00***00***

I return to the Aoiya just before dinner-time, having made all the necessary preparations. As I take moderate mouthfuls of stew, I can feel Misao's gaze occasionally flicking to me over the edge of her bowl. After dinner, she approaches me. "Aoshi-sama… Can I… Talk to you?"

We step out into the garden. "What is it?"

"W-we were just training!" she says. "Soujiro-kun's not that kind of guy… I don't know how well you guys know each other from before, but he's almost like Himura now, and-"

I try to look very calm and mild. I probably fail, but I shake my head slightly. "Do not feel as if you have to explain yourself, Misao. I'm sure Seta is…" I try not to grind my teeth together. "…Very kind to you."

Misao looks at me and I have a feeling that what I just said was not, in fact, the thing to say. "Well he _is_." She says sharply, then turns, running outside. " _Really_ kind!"

But as she steps towards the gates, I can hear a gasp. I feel smug. She runs back to me, looking a lot less angry than five seconds ago. "Look at this! Aoshi-sama!" I do my best not to smirk. She points and I look proudly at my handiwork. A pyramid of bouquets and a large sign. ' _To Misao'_.

"Oh." I say. "Who could have possibly done this." I say flatly.

"Who indeed, Aoshi-san?" It's Seta, wandering in from town. "Goodness, it would seem that this admirer is trying to knock out all of his competition, right, Misao-chan?" And he winks. At Misao. The nerve of this guy.

Misao giggles, meeting his eyes. It seems my plan has backfired. "To make space for all these bouquets in your room, you'll have to throw out the old ones." I say stiffly and turn.

I can hear the two of them talking. "Misao-chan, do you want me to help you carry all these to your room?" _He just wants to be in Misao's room. Pervert._

"Aw, thanks, Soujiro-kun! I'm sure I won't have to throw out your flowers – I'll make space." _Tomorrow I'm buying more. Then those goddamn white lilies will be thrown onto the street and trampled under the hooves of horses._

"How considerate, Misao-chan!" I can hear Seta exclaim. "Here, let me take that for you." _She can carry them perfectly well by herself. They're flowers – not bricks._

"Oh no, really I can do it myself." Another giggle. "Well, if you _insist_." I want to destroy something. This backfired so badly.


	5. Chapter 5

**Shit. She's onto Me**

Calligraphy is a pleasant activity. If you mix the ink just right, the brushstrokes will be very smooth and won't soak through the paper. It's a meditative activity that requires an empty, yet concentrated mind. In the poem I am copying, the character for 'flower' comes up. _God, I hate flowers. I never want to see another flower in my life,_ I think sourly _._

I can feel Misao's presence at my door and smell tea. "Come in."

"You always tell me to come in, _just_ before I knock, Aoshi-sama. How d'you even _know_ it's me?" she asks, smiling and shaking her head.

"Your presence is a very familiar thing. The feeling of you outside my door, I know it better than the back of my hand."

Misao laughs. "That sounds vaguely sweet."

"Only vaguely?" Why _did I say that,_ I berate myself _. I keep saying things before thinking…_

"Doing calligraphy?" she asks, setting the tray down next to me.

"No." I say. "Of course not." I lay down my brush and she pours tea for me, smiling at my lame attempt at sarcasm. _At least I'm trying_.

She looks at me as I take a sip. "…I think you know who sent those flowers to me, Aoshi-sama." She says.

I choke but remain expressionless. "…What makes you think that?" _Shit. She's onto me._

Misao _smirks_. "I think it's the same person who sent a 'threat bouquet' to Nakatani-kun." _Still with the familiar honorifics._

I take another sip of tea. "…And why do you think me guilty of associating with one of your fanatic admirers?" Drinking more tea, I return to writing. "I assure you, I want to have nothing to do with any of those love-struck idiots." _But honestly, that Nakatani-kun continues to haunt me even after he is no longer in the picture…_

"You never liked any of them even though you never met them." She says, slightly defensive. "Touda-kun went to University in France – he's not an idiot!"

I don't answer. Of course I didn't like them. Most of them had never lain their hands on a sword in their life. Others were much too dependent on their money. Others still were straight up so-called ladies' men who couldn't fathom that a woman wouldn't fall for them despite their pretty faces. One was a seventeen year old child. One was almost thirty. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But I'm pretty sure he was already married. Of course I didn't like any of them.

She peers over my shoulder and I lay down my brush again. Her fingers tap on the tatami floor. "…Your handwriting looks familiar." She says slowly.

 _What's_ that _supposed to mean_. "…Probably because you've seen it before." I say. _Oh shit. I forgot to disguise my handwriting in the cards with the flowers. I fail as a ninja. Oh god. Now Misao's going to-_

"Aoshi-sama?" she looks at me, her green eyes boring into me. "Are you trying to set me up with someone?"

 _How even-_ I choke on my tea for a second time, but gather myself and take another sip of tea. "Out of the question." I say.

Misao sighs with relief. "Thank goodness…"

I look at her. "I have no interest in marrying you off to someone." I turn back to calligraphy. "I remember saying before… Make sure you know someone better than the back of your hand before you decide to marry them. Flowers, money and candy don't make a man…" I trail off. "…Well, _sometimes_ flowers are alright – if tasteful."


	6. Chapter 6

**Please Stop Talking**

I'm standing in the kitchen and stirring the fried rice that Omasu left me with. Outside the kitchen, I can hear two voices and feel two presences. Seta and Misao again. I really try not to, but I end up listening to them. "…But I really don't think that Aoshi-san likes me very much, Misao-chan. He keeps glaring at me." I can hear him say. He laughs a little. "Did I offend him?" _Shit. Was I that obvious?_

I can hear Misao burst out laughing. "Don't worry, Soujiro-kun!" she says, and I can hear her patting his back, if I strain my hearing. "Aoshi-sama's like that with everybody! Even though he gives people these really intense looks and doesn't say much, he's a really good person. I'm sure he was just surprised to see us like that, you know?" _You think too highly of me Misao…_

Seta laughs. "I don't know what you saw, Misao-chan, but when he apologized for _intruding_ I was scared for my _life_ , okay?" _Good._

"He's just not used to it." Misao says quietly. "He still sees me as a kid to protect, y'know? So if some charming fellow like you tries to sweep me off my feet…" _Please stop talking. Charming fellow? Sweeping her off her feet? A kid to protect? There are so many things wrong with that statement. But… I haven't done anything to disprove it…_

"More like 'knock you to the ground'…" Soujiro says, and I can almost feel his smile. _Ugh._ "I'm glad you think me charming, Misao-cha-an!"

"That's not the point, Soujiro-kun." Misao says, laughing.

I realize that the rice is starting to burn and I begin stirring again. I can feel Seta's presence go away and then Misao comes into the kitchen. "Do you need anything, Omasu-sa… Oh!" she looks at me. "Aoshi-sama!" she seems too surprised. Her cheeks flush. _Was that a conversation I was not supposed to hear? Does she know I heard?_

I look over to the vegetables on the cutting board. "You could cut those." I offer.

Misao grins. "Okay!"

We cook in silence for a while, until she finishes and cleans off the board into the frying pan and I stir the vegetables in. "How is Seta?" I ask, trying to sound neutral. "I was thinking of having a cup of tea with him."

"Tea?!" She almost drops her knife and cutting board. "U-um! I'll… I'll tell him! I'm sure he'll be happy to, Aoshi-sama."

I'm a little amused by her reaction. "Why so surprised?"

"Well… Ahaha… How do I explain this…?" She laughs nervously. "Do you, uh… Dislike him?"

I take the pan off the heat, still stirring. "…I… Don't know him. I met him briefly, back when he was working for Shishio, but he has changed considerably since then." I say carefully. "I do not know him as you know him, that is." I try to look pleasant. "If he is… _Important_ to you, Misao, I would be interested in meeting him again… Properly. With tea."

Misao nods thoughtfully, then glares at me for a split second, so quickly I thought I imagined it. Then she sighs and smiles. "I'll tell him, then."

"Also…" I say quickly. "You've been working hard at the Aoiya recently." Taking a deep breath, I contradict myself. "…Would you care to go into the city in a few days?"

She looks at me. "The city?"

 _Damn. I'd been saving those for later, but I'll pull out my trump card now. This is an emergency._ "I… Have ordered something you… May be interested in. For you."

Her sea-green eyes widen and a smile spreads across her face. "Really?" she looks down. "Will you… Come too?"

"I thought that was obvious." I say softly. What am I doing? First I'm supporting Seta. Now I'm asking her out on a- No. Not a date. I simply have a few things to give to her. I'm giving her a day off. _That's it. If I keep just trying to convince myself like this… Ah, whatever. In your face, Seta._ I'll _be the one to make her smile tomorrow. Not you._


	7. Chapter 7

**Not Quite Twenty Questions – Or 'Seta Soujiro Really Begins to Piss Me Off'**

Seta is sitting across from me at a low table in my room. I pass him a cup of tea and set the little whisk down. He smiles and takes it with both hands. "Thank you. I don't really know much about tea…" he says. "But it's really good."

"Not at all." I say.

His smile widens. "Misao-chan said that you wished to speak with me?" he spreads his arms. "I'm at your service."

I take a sip of tea. "…Nothing specific." _I'm lying through my teeth and he can probably see it._

"How about we play a game?" he offers. "It's something a foreigner girl in Yokohama taught me. It's called twenty questions – and you play it to get to know each other better." A lazy smile spreads across his face. "Let's cut that down to ten each, shall we?"

 _He's playing with me. He can see right through me, can't he?_ I take another sip of tea, composing my thoughts. _No. I will play his game and win._ "What is the object of the game?" I ask.

"Pardon?"

"How do you win?" I ask.

Seta laughs. "Oh no, no!" he says. "That's not how it goes." He shakes his head.

I take another sip of tea. "Then I will ask you a question." I say, much more calmly than I feel. _I won't skip to the chase just yet._ "How have your travels been?"

Shrugging, Seta smiles again. "I've gone all the way to Okinawa… My next destination will be Hokkaido. I heard that that I where Anji-san is imprisoned and Fuji-san works on the railroads… I'm curious to see how they're faring. I've met many interesting people… A wandering life is quite a good one, I find."

I slowly nod. "Ah." I sip more tea."

He looks at me with a smile. "Now it's my turn to ask you a question, Aoshi-san." He looks up at the ceiling. "Hm… Let's see… How are the others faring? Himura Kenshin-san, Kamiya Kaoru-san, Sagara Sanosuke-san… Those guys."

"Doing well, as far as I know. Kamiya is now Himura. They married a year ago. Sagara had punched the wrong politician and is on the run across the world. Last we heard, he was in China."

Seta raises an eyebrow. "Oh, really? How nice." He smiles and I think it's genuine. "Now it's your turn."

"Misao." I say I can stop myself. "You are getting on well with her?" _Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn!_

His smile widens into something resembling a smirk. _Oh shit. I seriously fucked up_. "Oh yes!" he says. "She's a very fun person to be around." He looks at me, the smirk turning into another genuine smile. "That sort of happy energy is very refreshing, no?"

I slowly nod. "…Yes." I may look calm and impassive, but on the inside I'm screaming. _If you want to marry her you'll have to go though me first! Wait. That makes it seem like he Seta will have to marry_ me _before Misao. Oh god. My own imagination scares me sometimes._ I quickly dismiss the painful image of Seta in a wedding kimono, looking into my eyes earnestly. "It is."

Seta grins, drinking more tea. "Now it's my turn to ask you."

I ready myself. "Yes?"

He smiles. "It was you who sent the flower mountain, wasn't it?" he laughs. "You don't want Misao-chan to be stolen away by some spoiled rich boy, right?"

"…I do not…" I set my cup down with a sharp sound. "However, not for the reason you're thinking. Nakatani himself was the problem – not the fact that someone was attempting to court Misao." I say quickly. _Oh god. I sound so guilty, don't I? And Seta isn't buying it… I can see it written on that smirking face. I am so screwed._

"So you wouldn't mind if I did?" he asks innocently.

I try not to choke on my tea. I really do. Regaining some of my composure and gathering all the shreds of dignity I had around myself, I look at him sharply. "It is not your turn to ask a question. It is mine."

He smirks and then begins to laugh. "Alright, ask away."

 _Shit. I'm stuck for questions._ "…Any hobbies?" _Shit. Oh god… This is like an Omiai or something…_ The image of a smiling Seta in a woman's wedding kimono appears in front of me again and I drink tea, trying to dispel the thought from my mind.

Seta laughs a little. "Well, I like reading… But… Maybe cooking?" he shakes his head "It's a hard one… I can play the flute, but that isn't really…" he dithers around for a while in that vein until he finally says that his hobby is reading – for the time being. He smiles, looking at me. "Now it's my turn to ask!" he almost sings. "Let's see…" he takes his time in torturing me. "Ah yes! How many admirers does Misao have?"

I count out loud. "Rich-boy Nakatani is out. Takagi is the one who is already married… Tanaka's the seventeen-year-old child… Yamagata owns the candy store – weaker than a fly… Kagawa is the clumsy one who can't remember anything… Another rich boy is Kawabata… Harima is the bookish prudish one… Kato has gotten fired from almost every job in Kyoto… Oh, and there's the one who I knocked out because he was being rude…" I pause. "I can't remember his name. Something very generic. Another Tanaka? Taninaka? It couldn't be Takeda – he was the butcher's boy who lasted for barely a second. I cannot remember. Ah. There's Touda who went to a university in France. That would make…" I mentally calculate. "Eleven." My mouth tightens. " _Twelve_ , including you."

I look down at Seta, who is rolling around on the ground, clutching at his stomach and laughing convulsively. He shakily sits up again, wiping his eyes. "Oh I haven't laughed that hard in _ages_!" he manages, before relapsing. When he finally is able to breathe, he looks up at me. "Aoshi-san…" he says solemnly. "You are a very patient person." He begins to laugh again.

 _I am. Oh, you have no idea._ "Indeed I am." I say.

"Have you managed to get rid of them in a similar fashion?" asks Seta curiously.

"Some. Not all." I take a sip of tea. "My turn to ask."

"Go ahead!" Seta smiles.

"What is your relationship with Misao?" He already knows – I can see it. So there is no point in hiding for any longer.

Seta smiles and pretends to think deeply. "Ah… We-ell… Hm?" I glare at him slightly and he laughs. "Oh, we're getting along really well, you know! I would say we're friends?"

"Hm." I say.

"My turn!" Seta sings. "So-o, if I said I was su-uper interested in Misao-chan – enough to formally court her… What would you say?"

"What can you offer her?" I answer.

"Huh?" Seta shakes his head. "I _was_ just being hypothetical, Aoshi-san!"

"That is what I would say." I explain.

"O-oh… I see." He says, nodding thoughtfully. "You really care about her, don't you… But you _are_ quite oblivious, all-powerful ninja lord!"

I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Have you ever thought that the attention she's been receiving from all these people – she's been keeping them around not _only_ because she actually likes some of them? No?" he shakes his head. "Ahh, honestly. You know, all she ever talks about is-"

But a knock on the shoji interrupts him. Misao slides them open a crack and grins. "Dinner's up!"

Seta thanks me and stands up, smiling at her. I also stand and follow her into the hallway. Seta excuses himself and the two of us are left. Misao turns to me. "I heard Soujiro-kun laughing so hard!" she looks at me oddly. "What did you _say_ to him?"

I stiffen. "Nothing much. I am generally quite a humorous person, no?" Misao laughs. I look at her in mock offence. "That's not very flattering of you."


	8. Chapter 8

**A Duel**

Somehow, the small trip into the city with Misao turned into me being a third wheel as Misao and Seta chatted and dragged each other around to look at things. _Where did Seta even come from? How and why is he here? How can I make him leave?_ When the two of them were distracted with a few street food stalls I slip away quietly to the nearby weaponry store tucked behind a sprawling restaurant.

The owner greets me and reaches behind the counter to pass me the package which I had asked him to keep for me. As he checks the contents carefully, he attempts to chat with me. "Y'know, this is one of the most memorable orders. I have yakuza, disgraced samurai, cops… All sorts in here, but the first time someone came in here and told me that they wanted a gift for a woman…"

I clear my throat. I really don't need to hear this _._ But he continues. "So – I got the prettiest set of kunai I could… Lightweight, the handles I wrapped with nice blue ribbon, polished so you can eat off 'em. Must be one hell of a girl, right?"

I take the package from him and pay him the rest. "She is. Mention this to anyone and you will regret it." He gulps and nods.

When I return, Seta and Misao are still staring at the food – but with more food in their mouths than before I had left. Seta notices the package in my hand and I slowly fold my hands behind my back and tuck the package into my sleeve as if it is a casual gesture. I would prefer to give them to her when we were alone so that only _I_ could see her excited smile. Misao, on the other hand, is too busy staring at food to even notice that I was gone at any point.

We head back, Misao and Seta still joking around while I walk a little behind them. But as we reach the gates of the Aoiya, there is an unexpected visitor holding a bokken. He's a little taller than Seta and about as skinny, with his hair brushed back from his face and a very determined set to his soft features.

Misao looks at him. "Nakatani-kun?"

I step forward, eyeing him carefully. _Either untrained or badly so. Unused to holding a sword. He's not bad-looking, but he still looks like a child._ When he hears Misao, his hold on the bokken is not as tight and his face splits into a grin. "Misao-san!" I note the suffix.

Then he notices me and Seta and it is as if the smile slowly slides sideways off his face. Seta smiles and waves a little, bowing. I nod stiffly. "What are you doing here?" Misao asks curiously.

Nakatani's 'determined face' comes back. "I'm going to challenge everyone to a duel."

"Why? Who is everyone?" Seta asks curiously, with the air of someone who is enjoying a good show. I step forward again.

He bows. "In order to win Misao's heart and her hand in marriage I must first honorably defeat all other competitors." He looks up at me and while he seems a little scared I admire the courage that he showed in saying the next few words. "So in this case it would be you, Shinomori-san." He looks over at Seta. "And you too, sir."

"What the hell?" I can hear Misao mutter.

Soujiro laughs. "Sir? I'm barely older than you, Nakatani-kun. It's Soujiro by the way, Seta Soujiro. And I am afraid I must correct you." His smile takes a slightly intimidating set on his face. "Who could've possibly told you that the two of us wanted to fight you for Misao's affections?"

I nod. "And I must correct you on another point, Nakatani- _san_. Misao's is not an object that you can just attain after somehow 'honorably defeating' other 'competitors'. To reach for the moon, you must first pass the burning stars. If you are scared by that, then you do not truly want the moon." Seta nods and mouths ' _He's right'_ and ' _Listen to this guy_ '. I look at Nakatani and really try not to get annoyed. "You want Misao's affections to be bestowed upon you?"

Seta laughs. "Tell me…" he says. "How did you plan on 'defeating' our Aoshi-san?" he leans in to Nakatani and stage whispers. "You wouldn't be able to even land a hit. Half a second and you're on the ground." Nakatani swallows – and his fists tighten around the wooden handle of the bokken. "And as for me…" Seta pretends to flick his hair. "It would be a boring fight between the two of us as you would be on the other side of Kyoto by the time you managed to lift your bokken an inch up." He winks. "Come on, come on. Give it up. Let's have a drink, alright?"

Misao is now sitting on the gate of the Aoiya, curiously watching. "Nakatani-kun…!" she calls down. "I told you, I don't like you in that way, okay? I'm sorry. If you try to fight Aoshi-sama or Soujiro-kun you'll get hurt. I told you, right? We can still be friends, okay? Anyway, don't just go fighting people! Honestly!"

Nakatani looks like he's going to either cry or start swinging. He annoys me. "Do you know Misao?" I ask, pressing forward.

He looks up indignantly. "Of course I do!"

"Then, tell me… What is it she likes to eat? What is her signature move in kempo? What are her favorite things to do? What is she good and bad at?" My annoyance is showing though. "At least answer me this – what is her favorite color? You who know Misao so well, indeed _so well_ you want to spend the rest of your life with her – you should be able to answer those simple questions."

"I… I-Well…-"Nakatani stutters.

"Misao likes sweets, especially Western ones, such as macaroons. Her signature move is the Kencho Kick, backed quickly up with her Kansatsu Tobikunai. She likes training, reading and going out into the city. She is good at throwing knives, especially kunai, making tea and climbing things. She is not as good at sitting somewhere completely still for a long time, frying food for long periods of time without setting it on fire or remembering unpleasant chores. And… Her favorite color is blue – that of the sky." I raise my eyebrow. "You could not even answer any of these simple questions. How can you say you want to marry her, then? To marry someone – you must know them better than the back of your hand."

"Damn, Aoshi-san!" I hear clapping and see Seta sitting up on the gate next to Misao, applauding me. Misao has a hand over her mouth and she glances down at Nakatani.

Nakatani attempts to regain his dignity. He sounds like he's going to cry. "I… Have realized the error of my ways and all I can do is…" he sounded choked. "Apologize to Misao-san and you." He sniffs quietly, trying not to show it and bows deeply from the hips. "If you'll excuse me…"

As he plods dejectedly own the street, Misao yells after him. "You're still my friend, Nakatani-kun! So don't be afraid to show up again, okay? You said you'd let me borrow that novel! So don't let me down, 'cause I wanna know how it ends. And it's always more fun to read it with someone else, right?" Nakatani turns around and stands a little straighter. He waves back at Misao, a small smile on his face.

Seta jumps down off the gate and Misao follows soon after. I try to completely regain my composure. "I believe that dinner will be ready now. Let's go inside." I feel bad for tearing the boy apart like that, yet his attitude. It annoyed me even more than Seta's.

***00***00***00***

As I sit on the engawa and eat a rice ball, I stare at the package I had prepared for Misao. A set of kunai, for throwing, with blue wrapped around the handle. I hear footsteps, but they are not Misao's but Seta's. He sits down next to me and pours himself a cup of sake. "Want some?" he asks.

"I don't drink. But thank you." I say, trying to surreptitiously hide the gift. Of course, he notices.

Seta grins. "That's pretty sweet of you." He says teasingly. "Unconventional but definitely something that shows the depth of your-"

I shove a rice ball in his mouth to cut him off. "These taste very good." I say blankly. "Try one."

He laughs, chewing. "Don' worr', 'kay?" he says with his mouth full. "I won't tell her, Aoshi-san. You'll have to do it yourself. I think that's a bit crueler and more fun, no?" He looks up at the darkening sky. "I've had a really nice time here in Kyoto thanks to you and Misao-chan. But it's time for me to be wandering off again." He takes a sip of sake. "In the direction of Tokyo now."

"You're not planning on staying for longer?" I ask, surprised.

"Nope." He says, swallowing down rice and washing it down with a generous swig of alcohol. "Although you may expect me a few years down the road." He takes a small sip of sake and looks up towards the sky with a slight smile. "Hey look." He says. "That's a star."

I look up as well. "Indeed it is."

Seta drinks some then grins. "If I _do_ pass through here again let's drink tea together."

I nod. "Yes. Let's." I chew thoughtfully for a few minutes. "How long do you plan on wandering for?"

He shrugs, grinning. "Who knows? Have I found my truth yet? I've found a few, but I really don't know which one is mine. All that's left for me is to try one or two out. I'm young. I still have a lot to learn, many more places to go… There are so many ways of living out there… People who strive to expand their views and knowledge through any way possible… People living for a single thing and it consumes them. People who live their lives each day as if they are going to die the next. People who have no ambition or purpose who go through life as if it is a chore… So many ways of living, so many truths and so many more. And then there are people who are still trying to figure out how they will do it themselves." He jabs a thumb towards himself. "Like me."

I finish the rice ball. "If you ever do find yourself in need of housing when you are around Kyoto, I have a few contacts in real estate."

Seta laughs a little. "I'll keep it in mind." Then he pokes me. "But doesn't the wandering life suit me? Like…" he takes another drink of sake. "The handsome stranger coming to town, and leaving again, having stolen everyone's hearts? No?"

"How drunk are you?" I snort.

He grins. "Not enough."

***00***00***00***

Making sure that the hallway is empty, I stand outside Misao's room and lay the package with the kunai in it down in front of the closed door. I step back surveying it and shake my head. _Somehow, it looks wrong._ I pick the package up again and try different angles. _No. Still wrong._

"Aoshi-sama?" I hear her voice behind me and I quickly hide the package inside my sleeve.

"Yes?" I turn around, trying to look blank-faced and innocent.

She smiles at me. "Today was quite a day, huh? You know, Soujiro-kun's leaving tomorrow." She sighs.

I nod. "He told me."

Misao bites her lip and meets my eyes. "When Nakatani-kun was out there, you really tore into him…" she says.

"I apologize. I let myself get carried away. It was not my place to speak, but yours, and I truly apologize for that."

"You might've verbally destroyed him but…" Misao shook her head. "You said a lot of nice things, too."

I very briefly try to smile. "I was frustrated." I offer. "He saw very little of you, yet he thought he saw a lot. I, on the other hand… I see you every day – yet half the time I don't think I know all of you." Before I can say anything else incriminating, I hand her the package with the kunai. "This is what I wanted to give you when we were out. Somehow, it slipped my mind." I turned to walk away.

Her little gasp and muffled squeal as she opens it makes me truly smile, and I turn, if only to catch a glimpse of her excited face. She is looking straight at me and my eyes widen. I turn away, but she is right near me.

"Thanks, Aoshi-sama…!" she says with a large smile. She stands on tiptoe and leaves a featherlight kiss on my cheek. Then she is gone and I am left alone in the hallway, shaking my head.


	9. Chapter 9

**A Homecoming (sort of?)**

Now, Kyoto is a really beautiful place. And since it had been nine years since I had seen it last, I had wanted to see more before I attended to 'business' and continued onwards. So what do I do? I spend my hard-earned money on visiting the girls at a nice Okiya (geisha house). Nothing, I repeat, nothing is better, than after a long month of travelling (and the month before that being sea-travel), tasty sake, intelligent and good-looking women, the tatami of my home country – and of course Akane-chan's lap as a pillow.

Yoko-chan pours me a cup of sake (which I down) and then asks me a question. "So where are you from, Seta-sama?" her voice is very nice, not too high-pitched.

"Soujiro is fine, Yoko-chan." I grin. "Or Sou-kun. But where I'm from? Nearby the Kyoto area." She pours me more sake and this time I don't down it all in one go (how admirable of me, no?) but take a sip (I am a master of self control!). Now I have too much energy to relax, so I extract myself from Akane-chan's warm and comfortable embrace.

I turn to her and hold her hand. "It's nothing personal." I say with mock seriousness. "Your lap is one of the most comfortable laps I have lain in to this day." She laughs and so does Yoko and the other girl, Mari. I wink. "Say, Yoko-chan, about your question… You thought I was a foreigner? Or were you curious about my travels?"

"Oh goodness, no! Nothing like a foreigner." Mari-chan puts a hand over her mouth. "Soujiro-sama, will you please tell us about your travels?" she giggles. "I'm sure you have a lot of interesting stories to tell!"

I turn to her. "Indeed I do." I drink some sake (a lot – but shh! – don't tell anyone) and feel pleasantly tipsy (what was that about self-control?). "I'm a wanderer! There's no place in Japan I haven't been! I've seen ninja, I've seen swordfights the like of which no man, or woman, has seen before. I've seen Very beautiful scenery, forests with no-one around for miles – and it's autumn so the trees look like they're on fire. I've met some amazing people who've made me rethink my entire life, some people who allowed me to stay with them for a short time despite what my history was with them… I've met a tiny, cute girl get angry and start throwing knives, then turning into such a young woman that they have a bouquet of flowers waiting for them every _day_ from an admirer! Or in one case it was more like a tsunami of flowers. That guy had to outdo me in everything." I laugh, then stop. "Whoops." I say, taking another drink. "That last part was…"

Yoko-chan, always the astute one strokes my hair. "Oh… Sou-kun. Your flowers were forgotten in the mix? How could _any_ woman overlook you?"

"I honestly don't know either." I grin at her and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "No, actually." I say. "I conceded to the better man, who in turn, destroyed all the other competition – somehow while always keeping that girl in the front of his mind.."

Mari-chan's hand flies to her mouth again. "Destroyed?"

Akane-chan looks at me carefully. "So what has become of them now?"

I shrug. "I left before anything happened. But!" I point a finger at all of them and they lean in closer to hear what I was going to say. "I was really cool about it." They laugh. "That response is a bit unflattering." I say teasingly. "But I'm just curious. Do you know of the Aoiya?"

"Oh!" Mari-chan puts her hand over her mouth again and I'm tempted to ask what would happen if she didn't cover her mouth any time anything happened. "They've really expanded lately and there's a lot of gossip involving that place – and the people who run it. The past innkeeper is a regular client of ours. A very… _Energetic_ older gentleman. But getting back on topic… The inn is really popular." She lowers her voice. "And you get all sorts in there. Street-fighters, a prestigious lady-doctor from Tokyo, some really evil-looking guy who's actually a cop – someone swore he saw the legendary Battousai visit once. But it was some very adorable young man with a wife and child."

I began to laugh (adorable young man? Kenshin-san's probably in his forties or something!). Yoko-chan tapped Mari-chan's shoulder. "That man's wife is the head of one of the biggest kendo schools in Tokyo, the Kamiya dojo."

Akane-chan shakes her head and unfolds her fan. "There was also some huge swordsman there. I think he came down from the mountain… And the street-fighter and the doctor are married."

I raise an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" I sit cross-legged and Yoko-chan pours me another drink. "Do you know much about the people living there – the current innkeepers? There's actually someone in particular. A certain… Makimachi Misao? How is she?"

The three women exchange amused glances. Akane-chan is the first to speak. "She seems to be doing rather well as far as I know. Although…"

I sit up. "Although what?"

"She hasn't been Makimachi for a while now, Sou-kun." Yoko-chan supplies gently.

I sigh. "Well, I suppose that's to be expected." Then I stop and urgently turn to Yoko-chan. "Just in case… She's not a Nakatani, is she?"

"No, no." Mari-chan giggles (with that damn hand over her mouth again – it's a nice mouth, why cover it all the time?). "She's been Shinomori for quite some time now."

Slowly nodding, I lay my head back into Akane-chan's lap. "That is to be expected, of course." Akane-chan's long fingers play with my hair as she fans herself, and Yoko-chan pours me another cup of sake.

Mari-chan sympathetically pats my hand. "When you were talking about the knife-throwing girl who turned into a wonderful woman, you were talking about her, weren't you, Sou-kun?"

I down all the sake in my cup (which Yoko-chan immediately refills). "Yeah. But that's to be expected." (can you see how I'm trying to convince myself here?) "I've been gone from Kyoto for a long time now." I say. "That's her. But… How's Aoshi-san then?"

Yoko-chan snorts, then quickly regains her composure. "He's leading a normal life, it seems."

I laugh a little. "So he's doing well with Misao-chan." I say (mostly to myself – I'm already this drunk, no?) "That's good. That's good."

Akane-chan smooths my hair back from my face. "There's probably something you should know if you decide to visit them. They have a child. A very pretty but hopelessly energetic girl."

Again, I laugh a little. "Just like her mother, then…"

The empty sake bottle slips from between my fingers and I feel drowsiness overtake me. Yoko-chan takes out her koto, Mari-chan her flute – and Akane-chan gently begins to sing. For the first time in a long while, I allow myself to relax, off guard. I close my eyes, and for the first time in a long while I dream of white lilies, sea-green eyes, bright sunlight dancing on a set of kunai, flushed cheeks, a carefree grin and happy voice that cheerfully calls out a name that isn't mine. (or something kinda like that, no?)


End file.
